The final crisis

How might the Habsburg empire survive the rise of particularist nationalism in eastern Europe? Austrian statesmen had debated the question for 50 years, and the best answer seemed to be some form of federalism permitting political autonomy to the nationalities. Reforms of this nature had always been vetoed by the Hungarians, who stood to lose their own position vis-à-vis the German-Austrians and the minorities in their half of the empire. Conrad Franz, Graf (count) von Hötzendorf, chief of the general staff, favoured preventive war against Serbia to stifle nationalist agitation for good and reinforce the old order. ... (100 of 143,227 words)